In review of 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.”
Bottom Line:
What God provides us via the Holy Spirit is not fear and timidity, but rather power, love and self-control allowing us to love others and to enjoy being with them.
What this means to me:
God did not give me his Spirit so that I could shy away in fear or be timid, rather he fills me with power, love and self-control which allows me to love others and even enjoy being at peace with them. God wants me to live at peace with everyone, because unresolved conflict can have three devastating effects on my life.
First, it blocks my fellowship with God. When I’m out of whack with others, I can’t be in harmony with God. When I’m distracted, when I’m in conflict with others, I won’t have a clear connection with God. 1 John 4:20 says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar” (NLT).
Second, unresolved conflict hinders my prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict and sin and disharmony in life, prayers are blocked.
Third, unsolved conflict hinders my happiness. I cannot be happy and in conflict at the same time. When conflict comes in the front door, happiness goes out the back.
The starting point for resolving any conflict is to take the initiative. Don’t wait for others to come to me; I am to go to them. I am to be the peacemaker.
I’m to not ignore, deny or push the conflict under the carpet (which is my typical reaction.) I used to be of the opinion that time heals, however what I”m learning is that time doesn’t heal anything. Actually, time will make things worse. For example, If had an open wound and didn’t deal with it, it would fester. Likewise unresolved anger will turn into resentment, and resentment will then turn to bitterness. The conflict is not going to resolve itself. I’ve got to intentionally deal with it.
Only courageous people resolve conflict. Maybe the most courageous thing I can do is face an issue that I’ve been ignoring for a long time. The bible tells me that I can get the courage to face it from God. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” This means that if I let God’s Spirit fill my life, then I’m going to be filled with power, love, and self-discipline. And God’s love overcomes fear.
When my love is greater than my fear, I’ll have the power to do things I’m afraid to do. That’s called courage. When I’m filled with God’s love, I’ll also be filled with love for that person who is irritating me or that person I’m in conflict with.
Today, I will consider things I am pretending are not a problem and then consider what I can do to take initiative in resolving it.
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